Monthly Archives: May 2014
Writing a Graded Reader
I’m going to try to write a graded reader. Exciting, right? The first problem is that I’ve never done anything like this before. Nevertheless, I am going to attempt to get one published. I will post my journey here – it might serve as a guide of what to do and what not to do […]
BC TEAL Conference: Using blogs to teach writing
A theme that emerged from Day One of the BC TEAL conference was the innovation occurring in EAL classrooms to meet the needs of a changing student body and the expectation that teachers will incorporate Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. A great example of this is NorQuest College instructor Bonnie Nicholas’ use of blogging to […]
Scrabble Tiles
Scrabble tiles can be used in an ESL class in a number of ways, from simple and fun fillers to writing activities. I especially like using these activities with students who are weak spellers. Simple Fillers 1. Longest List Put students into groups of three and give each group 25 scrabble tiles. Make sure all tiles are […]
Word Sneak
Thanks to an idea from prolific blogger Larry Ferlazzo, I introduced a fun, new speaking activity to my class this week. He posted a link to a game called Word Sneak that Late Show host Jimmy Fallon played on his show. I was able to use it to practice conversation management and to recycle new vocabulary. […]
Manners for a Digital Age
As often as possible, I use topical, authentic materials in my classes. Since I listen to a fairly wide range of podcasts, I often find material for listening lessons (usually advanced level classes). One such gem that I’ve had a lot of success with is the podcast Manners for the Digital Age from slate.com. […]
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